I have led Hope UK since 2009, and before that I set up the ‘Volunteering’ programme here at Hope UK. I have been a youth worker for a very long time and am passionate about the need for good quality youth work and well-trained youth workers to help young people develop and achieve their potential. My aim is that we will be so good at our work that young people will be equipped to deal with the issues around drugs (and other areas) so that they can make healthy choices for themselves and won’t need ‘rescue’ later in life.

I am the fundraiser at Hope UK. My work focuses on mobilising financial resources for the organisation to continue to grow. I am passionate about seeing young people realise their full potential through choosing to lead drug and alcohol-free lives.
Prior to joining Hope UK, I worked in international development, communications, fundraising and programme management at NGOs including Oxfam, Skillshare International and Oxford Policy Management.

I’m the Volunteer Support Officer – this involves working alongside new volunteers to help them plan sessions or detached work, helping them with their portfolios, encouraging them to generate work in their own area and get the ‘Drugs, Sex and You’ courses into youth groups and/or schools.    I have worked for Hope UK for many years and I am still very passionate about the work we do and even more so now, as the next generation are being trained up to be peer mentors.

I have worked for the organisation for a number of years in various roles and am presently enjoying working in the finance department, responsible for the day to day running of finances of Hope UK

Since moving from Norfolk to Northamptonshire in 2007 I have worked for a women’s refuge charity and a drug and alcohol rehabilitation charity where I saw first-hand the issues facing people of all ages in society today. As the father of a teenage son and foster carer of a teenage boy, I am dedicated to the ethos and services that Hope UK provides and am committed to playing my part in enabling the excellent work to grow.
Away from work, I am responsible for much of the music at my church and have been playing keyboard instruments since I was a child. I enjoy walking and try to go out running when I can find the motivation!

I am responsible for raising the public profile of Hope within the media, raising awareness of the work we do to enable young people to make healthy choices and lead drug free lives. I come with a background in journalism, having worked in magazine publishing for several years and more recently, as a freelance writer and editor.
I have been involved with Hope UK since 2010, having trained as a Voluntary Drug Educator. I have used my training to run drug education sessions within my local schools; working with youth is a passion and something that I have been engaged in for many years, as a voluntary youth worker within the local church and in my town and as a school governor. I have trained to lead Hope UK’s ‘Drug, Sex and You’ programme, and in 2019 I joined Hope UK’s training team, supporting the training of newly recruited voluntary educators, which is something I very much enjoy.

I have worked with Hope UK since 2015, firstly as the Youth Work Development Officer for Generation Hope and now as a part-time youth worker and volunteer educator.

I’m Nathan, and I have been involved with Hope UK for several years, volunteering at events and helping the youth in Generation Hope grow in their faith.
When I’m not doing that I work in a primary school as well as doing other youth events in my local area.
I have a great sense of humour, enjoy sci fi films and do a bit of acting when I find the time.

I have been the local worker for Northamptonshire for the last four years. Having previously been a volunteer, it was good to take up the challenge of focussing on one area. We currently have a small team of volunteers based in Northampton and between us we have delivered a whole host of drug education across the county. This includes regular detached work around the county, work in FE colleges, particularly in Kettering and Corby. We have worked with various ‘entry to employment’ groups, a number of schools and have even managed to find space on a school timetable to deliver our 8-week ‘Drugs Sex & You’ course. I am a qualified nurse, experienced youth worker and, on a personal note, working for Hope UK has been a great opportunity to develop my skills in teaching and training others, which is proving to be invaluable.

I have been the local worker for Watford for the last seven years. Having previously been involved with recruiting volunteers for Hope UK, it is enjoyable to now work with a local team. Our Watford team have delivered a variety of sessions and detached drug education work. We are involved in drug prevention work in schools, churches and colleges in and around Watford, and are keen to develop this work to enable children and young people live drug-free lives. I have previously been involved with youth work, and work with churches in a number of areas in London, and find Hope UK is a great opportunity to develop my passions in these areas. On a personal note, working for Hope UK has also been a great opportunity to work flexibly, alongside my role as a Baptist minister.

I joined Hope UK in 2008 as a volunteer drugs educator working in East Yorkshire. Since autumn 2019 I have been the local worker in Sheffield, working to develop our drug prevention work here, as well as recruit and train local volunteer educators. Recently, I have been writing and developing our online E-learning resources (click Resources above for more information).

I am trained to deliver our eight-week young people’s programme “Drugs, Sex and You”; and our accredited Youth Worker and Family Worker courses. I am also a practising pharmacist working in a supermarket pharmacy in Sheffield.

I have a passion for seeing young people choose full lives free from the influence of drugs and I take every opportunity to fulfil that passion whether working with schools, parents, youth workers or Street Pastors.

I joined Hope UK in 2019 because I am passionate about enabling young people to make the right choices that sets them up for a successful life. I have spent the best part of two decades working in the church and charity sector however I do also have a broad range of skill from a diverse background in various commercial settings.

I serve as an associate Pastor at Jesus House in London where I oversee the Communications and Community Action functions.

Over the last few years, I have started to engage in activities and enterprises that bring my 2 worlds together so putting Jesus Christ at the centre of regular business endeavours.

I’m very interested in politics and society development and I like to dabble a bit with DIY.

In all, I’m about improving people, places and things.

I became an educator 17 years ago after seeing a session in my church. Over the years I have journeyed with Hope UK through the many different seasons in a variety of areas and roles. I have a deep love for the work and vision of Hope UK. Having worked in finance for over 20 years, I have experience in the PR, Telecoms, and Construction Industries. As well as being a trustee and Treasurer of a Congregational Church, I have been Hope UK’s Treasurer since 2014.

My background is in sales – ladies retail and mobile communications. I left working in mobile communications after many years as the environment was very stressful. I also volunteered in various capacities for over 25 years working with marginalised groups, youth offender, children’s Saturday clubs.
I now work with children in foster care, as I am passionate about better outcomes for children’s lives.
Volunteering for Hope UK has been a privilege. After attending the conference in 2018, I enjoyed a view of the wider picture, vision and purpose and it became clear I should participate more in the journey of drug education. It was refreshing at the conference to engage with vibrant, enthusiastic and committed young people that desired to move their own and the next generation.
Having seen the other side of addiction first hand with close family and friends, the desire to educate and equip young people in making informed choices seems a given, wanting to be a part of changes we would like to see. A visible foundation is established, and I hope to contribute to the expansion and enlarge the territory of drug education with Hope UK.

I am a research scientist at the University of Reading. With a B.Sc. in human physiology, MSc in molecular biology and PhD in structural biochemistry. I love learning about the fine details that are involved in making our bodies functional. I am naturally very curious, and I love to learn and discover new things. I love to see young people explore and be inspired by the world around them. I love to see them thrive and reach their full potential. I am a strong advocate for equality in the access to education and opportunities and have volunteered with various charities (both in the UK and internationally) which aim to improve the lives and futures of young people, empowering them by investing in education, skills and training.

I have been a practising optometrist since 1986 and started my own optical domiciliary business in 2004. I also have MSc in Health Promotion.

As a mother of 3 children, I am aware of the pressure on young people to participate in drug use. In the course of my domiciliary work, I provide eyecare to those in rehabilitation centres. This enlightens me on the consequences of drug addiction. I therefore decided to volunteer for HOPE UK in 2019, as I wanted to be part of an organisation and team involved in the prevention of drug use from an early age.

I love spending time with young people, thoroughly enjoy doing the varied drug education sessions, passionate about the work of HOPE UK and want to contribute to its long-term plans and goals.

Outside HOPE UK and work, I enjoy travelling, eating and spending time with my family and friends.

I have been a of part of Generation Hope since its conception over 5 years ago. I am a member of the youth council and recently elected as a trustee for Hope UK. I’m a product of someone who has been hugely impacted by the amazing work of Hope UK. I have encountered the devastating consequences of addiction in my own family and this has led me to be deeply passionate about drug and alcohol education. I am currently studying Politics at the University of Surrey and in my spare time I love eating good food, spending days in London and debating politics, theology and everything in between.

As well as my volunteering with Hope UK, I am also a professional actor.  I first heard about Hope UK when I visited a Temperance exhibition at the Peoples’ Palace Museum in Glasgow as a child and have been volunteering for Hope UK for the last twelve years. I have been involved in making films for Hope UK recently, and I look after our Twitter account.

I have been an Educator for well over ten years after seeing a stand at Spring Harvest in Skegness (I actually live in Skegness). I took away the information and within a day I had applied to be an educator. I really enjoyed the training and got to meet some lovely people.

I mainly do sessions with children at local schools. I have good contacts with one school and I now do a session with each class (from reception to Year 6) at least once a year. It is so great to see what the children remember from the previous year and they are all very enthusiastic.

I trained as an Accountant and have worked in my Firm, O A George & Co Chartered Certified Accountancy practice in New Cross, London since its formation in 1989 to date. I have been involved in other Christian activities including my local Church where I served as Deacon and Treasurer for almost 30 years and as Treasurer of a Christian Organisation that serves the interest of Nigerians in the UK since 1994 until now. For a period of 5 years, I also served as Treasurer of the Friends of a top-rated private Boys Schools in London.

I came to Hope UK because my wife informed me of the work of the Charity and I wanted to have a better understanding of what it’s all about, and it was an eye opener to know what a drug is and the negative effect it has on users and those around them, a situation I could attest to, as it called into memory the lives of close family members I knew were inadvertently into drugs but never knew it themselves. I am also a member of a Prison ministry group and I believe the work of Hope UK is vital in stopping people going to prison by helping them to make drug free choices rather than their being ministered to under incarceration.